Harford County Public Library Foundation elects three new board members

The Harford County Public Library Foundation recently elected Stacy Bowen, Tim E. Braue and Robin Sommer to three-year terms on its board. Bowen is a professional florist and owns Stacy Bowen Floral Design in Bel Air. She is an active member of the Abingdon Friends of the Harford County Public Library and serves as secretary. Bowen and her family volunteer much of their time to the library by collecting and packing books. (Aegis)

While location for Hampstead Day has changed, cohesiveness 'as strong and vibrant as ever'

Memorial Day weekend is right around the corner, signaling the unofficial end of the school year and the beginning of summer. Families start planning weekend getaways and vacations, soaking up the sunshine and enjoy time together. Many residents also see the holiday weekend as a sign that it’s time for Hampstead Day. The event is organized by the Hampstead Lions Club and has been in held in Upperco for the past three years, since the beginning of the streetscape project in Hampstead. It is typically held along Main Street in Hampstead, and at the Hampstead Fire Company carnival grounds. (Carr. Co. Times)

Maryland's waters are a poor candidate for offshore drilling, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke told a Senate committee Thursday. His remarks — which included predicting that the state's drilling opponents will be "very happy" with the planning process — appeared to all but take the Free State off the table for future oil leases. "There are no known (oil) resources off the coast of Maryland," Zinke said during an exchange with Maryland Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen. "No. 2 is the president has ensured that we take the local community in consideration and the views of this body." (Daily Times)

No more No. 2: Annapolis, Anne Arundel push for no-discharge zone in rivers and creeks

Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley is wearing blue pants, a white shirt and thin black tie. It isn’t quite boat attire but that doesn’t seem to bother him as he fastens his lifevest aboard a city harbormaster vessel. Buckley is taking a short trip to follow a pump out boat — which removes sewage from boats on the water — and talks about plans for a county-wide no-discharge zone. “The whole Chesapeake Bay should be a no-discharge zone,” Buckley said. “The bay is sacred. How can that be possible?” (Capital)

Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh said Friday she has suspended Police Commissioner Darryl De Sousa with pay pending the resolution of three federal criminal tax charges against him, reversing course from the previous evening when she expressed continued support for him. “Upon review of the circumstances surrounding Commissioner De Sousa's failure to file tax returns for successive years, I have placed him on paid suspension effective immediately,” Pugh said. (Balt. Sun)

Dolphins appearing by the hundreds in Chesapeake Bay: 'All of a sudden there were like 50 of them around us'

A group of teenagers was learning to sail on the Patuxent River last summer when one of them spotted it in the distance: A dolphin’s fin bouncing above the water. They steered closer, and were quickly surrounded by friendly marine mammals. “All of a sudden there were like 50 of them around us,” said Patuxent High School student Carolyn Wilson, an instructor for the Southern Maryland Sailing Association’s summer camp. She pulled out her iPhone and snapped some pictures. Those photos helped researchers confirm one of hundreds of dolphin sightings reported around the Chesapeake Bay last year. (Balt. Sun)

Michelle Moore never will forget the night she returned home to Barclay Street, pregnant with her now 15-month-old daughter, to find a man shot dead in the street near the elementary school. The victim, identified by police as Domonique Thaniel, 37, had been riding his bicycle through the city’s Abell neighborhood that night in January 2017. On Saturday, Moore and a group of volunteers returned to the site of the shooting to shovel dirt into planters and fill them with tomatoes, squash and cucumbers in Thaniel’s honor. (Balt. Sun)

Clarke: City is backsliding on “zero waste” goal

One year ago, city officials were seemingly on the same page about municipal garbage: Baltimore would follow the lead of other cities and aim for “zero waste.” With support from the Department of Public Works and other agencies, the City Council approved a resolution calling for the agencies and experts to begin discussing the development of a zero waste plan. But a recent request for proposals for a consultant to help DPW draft the solid waste plan has set off alarm bells with community and environmental advocates. Studying the continued use of the Wheelabrator trash incinerator “through 2040” is just one part of the 11-page RFP that has Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke up in arms. (Brew)